The Best of Cleveland 2012 issue is online and on the streets now. Read it, love it. In addition to the usual categories, there were some offbeat staff picks. We'll be posting them here over the next few days.
Best Secular Use of a Former Church: Josaphat Arts Hall
St. Josaphat Roman Catholic Church was a pioneer in the region’s church-closing craze, shutting its doors in 1998 and snuffing out 83 years of parish life along with it. But Josaphat remains a hub of the most worthy human impulses as a newly consecrated temple to creativity. Opened in 2005, Josaphat Arts Hall is a work and display space for local independent artists toiling in endeavors as diverse as glass fusion, web design, painting, stained glass, and mixed-media assemblage. The main hall and former worship area hosts Convivium33 Gallery, a sprawling venue designed to host career-spanning collections from the region’s most esteemed talents. Convivium hosts only a few shows per year, but each one is so comprehensive and brilliant as to be worth your patience.
1433 East 33rd St., 216-881-7838, josaphatartshall.com/
